Head Huggers – knitting hats for cancer patients

January 15, 2008 · Posted in Charities · Comment

Although the focus of this site is money, it is also important to give back to others. All the money in the world doesn’t matter if you don’t fulfill your personal goals. I mentioned in a previous post that one of my goals was to have a job with a purpose that helps other people directly. After giving it some thought, I think that another one of my goals would be to also increase giving back to others, even if it does not directly involve money (ie. a job). I do not have the time to begin a nonprofit of my own right now, but I want to at some point in the future.

In the meantime, I would like to bring attention to others who have started worthy causes. I recently stumbled across a lady who is doing some amazing work for others. Sue Thompson started Head Huggers, which knits and sews caps for people who have lost their hair from chemotherapy, brain surgery, or other medical procedures. There are patterns provided on the site to get started, as well as some useful suggestions about what materials are best suited for different types of caps. The hats, once submitted, are delivered directly to nurses who are involved with the patients who have lost their hair. You can even get involved by forming your own local Head Huggers group, and information about local groups is posted on the main website.

This is a wonderful way to get directly involved in helping others when your free time permits, and provides a great incentive to try to learn something new. I have always wanted to learn how to knit, but I never really got started. My local craft store always has a weekly coupon for 40%-50% off a single item. Perhaps it is time to set a couple dollars aside and pick up some knitting needles and yarn!